Late Bishop’s legacy to fund various community projects in Northumberland and Tyneside
A new fund to help parishes in Northumberland and Tyneside with life-transforming community projects has been launched.
The Bishop of Newcastle Foundation will provide individual grants of up to £25,000 to support initiatives tackling inequality, strengthening communities and creating opportunities for people across the Diocese of Newcastle.
The fund, which will be managed by Community Foundation North East, is in place thanks to a generous legacy from the former Bishop of Newcastle – the late Alec Graham.
He served as Bishop of Newcastle from 1981 to 1997 and died in 2021.
The fund seeks to support work that improves the lives of people of all faiths and none, with a particular focus on activities that address inequality and disadvantage, advance social justice, promote community cohesion and interfaith relationships, and maintain positive links between the church and the local communities it serves.
The current Bishop of Newcastle, Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, said: “I am deeply grateful for the generous legacy left by Bishop Alec, who was passionate about helping the most vulnerable in our society.
“Through the setting up of the Bishop of Newcastle Foundation, his dedication to our Diocese will continue – with parishes now able to apply for financial help to develop their outward presence and make a lasting difference to the communities they serve.”
Grants of between £3,000 and £25,000 are available for projects of up to one-year duration.
The first round is now open, with the application window closing at 11.59pm on Monday, November 23. Decisions will be made and communicated before the Christmas break.
For more information about the fund, including the process for how to apply, go to https://newcastle.anglican.org/parish-support/bishop-of-newcastle-foundation